


A Great Improvisation

by legendofzula



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist!John, First Kiss, M/M, Wrote this instead of my actual fic, lots of fluff, procrastination
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 16:08:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6335455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legendofzula/pseuds/legendofzula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexander needs to take a break from the library, so what better thing to do than study with the attractive librarian that he has NO sexual tension with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Great Improvisation

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this to procrastinate finishing Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light. I would've finished but I don't know how to write make out scenes (cough) spoilers. I hope you like this I didn't have Daisy edit it or anything! I just felt like I owed y'all something ASAP.

Alex really doesn’t remember how he gets in these types of situations. However here he is at the campus library at 3 in the morning with tea staining the perfectly hardwood tables where his work is currently residing. He quickly lifts up the sheets of notebook paper, trying to avoid the stains that were already forming on his last pair of clean jeans. Alex really needed to start doing laundry. 

These all nighter days started to become more frequent as the semester started kicking into overdrive and the professors were no longer sugarcoating the workload because it is ‘the first month back’. Test and exams were soon piling up and it was hard to keep up with the workload, seeing as Alex was double majoring (a decision he was beginning to reconsider). Since then the campus library, with the newly instated 24-hour policy, was more of a home than his actual dorm was. He spent more time pouring over page after page of books that words all seemed to blur together into one big jumble of black and white text. Every night and every spare moment of free time was spent studying or in the library. Any time that he told himself he deserved a break and started reading different novels for fun or writing just for leisure, he would break out into a cold sweat 15 minutes in and quickly grab a textbook he always had handy or pull up an article on the campus online library. It would probably just be easier to study from his dorm with the online library, though he never liked ebooks. 

Alex wasn’t the only one. He frequently saw the same people also pouring over their textbooks and studying for hours on end. Everyday that they would come back, their eyes began brimming red and the two purple moons every college kid had stamped under their eyes became darker and darker each day. The clothes got baggier and hair more disheveled. It was like they were on drugs, and yes, coming to the library everyday and studying was like a drug. They knew they looked terrible, they knew it wasn’t healthy, but it feels good afterward so they just keep going. He never talked to these people except for mutual interactions (“Hey can I borrow a pencil?” “Is there another copy of that book here?”) but they all knew one another. You could always tell who they were rather than just casual study kids, because they were the ones who had no shame if they fell asleep multiple times at the library. 

It was an unspoken rule in Columbia’s library to never disturb the kids who were passed out in the library, Alex soon realised this after earning a harsh tap on the shoulder by one of the student librarians with a stern shaking of the head when trying to awaken a perpetrator of this. “If these kids are sleeping, then they clearly need that more than studying,” he learned, and thus it was cemented in his brain. All that explains why it is nearing closer to 4 in the morning and he is still in the library trying to typing an essay on his, now dead, laptop. Alex stretches his brain to remember when he arrived at the library and is trying even harder to remember if he slept through his 6 o’clock lecture with Adams, Probably for the best if he did. 

Alex quietly packed up up his ungodly amount of books and papers he brought with him. He leaves the spilt tea on the table, being way too tired and sore to even care about common courtesy. Those 4 am librarians have nothing to do better anyways. Alex had his hand on the door handle before some behind him snapped, causing Alex to groan and turn around, “Just where do you think you’re going?” The librarian, John, behind the desk asked. Alex had recently become acquainted with John in his late nights, in which he is always working. He must take afternoon classes, Alex mused to himself. John is very gorgeous in Alex’s opinion, with long curls tumbling down to his shoulders and freckles that are to die for. He talks to him sometimes when he is procrastinating work, or when Alex just wants someone to talk to. John was very good company. Nevertheless, John always seems very on edge all the time and acts very wary around Alex, which is irritating, though Alex is sure John isn’t in the best of moods to watch over his peers work when he could be in his bed sleeping the night away. Alex has mixed emotions towards him. 

“I think I am going back to my dorm because I am tired as fuck and want some actual rest before my 8 o’clock class with Lee,” Alex told him, striding over to where John was sitting. 

“Well you left a mess at one of our tables and you need to clean it up. You of all people should know our policy, Alex,” John said, looking up at Alex from his lashes. Just by doing that, the dark circles under his eyes became more noticeable, those of which Alex would not have spotted otherwise. Maybe he does take morning classes. “Besides, some of us actual work on our coursework in the library instead of dozing off and being more of a burden,” 

“Oh please what work does an art major have to do?” Alex spat back, his exhaustion and irritability with John starting to translate through. 

John huffed, “If you must know, I have to fill up an entire sketchbook with drawings of “Campus Life” for my stupid Free-Hand Drawing class. Not only is she grading on if we get it done, but Livingston is also grading how realistic the art is plus how creative the things we draw are. Well that is kind of hard for me seeing as I rarely have free time, and on my off day I am studying. So really the only free time I ever have is here and there is about as much life during the 4am library shift as the dying plants that are present in every freshman dorm room!” He half-shouted at Alex. He presumed that he wasn’t actually that mad at him, but just stress and wanting to get things off of his chest. 

“Wow that really is terrible. I am sorry,” Alex tried to sympathise, but his words sounded cold and empty, “Though, I’m sure a lot of people are in the same boat as you. I hope you get some inspiration, though, sleeping teenagers really doesn’t help much does it?” They both laughed for a moment as Alex walked out the door.

“Wait! You still need to clean up your te-” But Alex was already out the door and gone. 

*******

“You’re back late,” Hercules commented as Alex entered the cramped dorm room, throwing his bag and coat haphazardly on the ground. 

“Thanks Captain Obvious, you think I didn’t know that? Why are you still up?”

Hercules pointed to his computer, “Star Wars marathon,” 

“Of course,” Alex climbed into his bed and tried to fall asleep, but the walk back to his dorm energised him more than exhausting him. He shouted in frustration which caused Hercules to turn around. 

“Bad study time?” Alex only groaned in response. “I told you, you can’t keep doing this. You’re gonna snap eventually. You have to give yourself some time off.” 

“I can’t just take time off,”

“Sure you can!” He smiled, “You’re already ahead in all of your classes so just give yourself a day to relax,”

Alex sat up and faced him, short legs swinging off the bed, “Even if I wanted to, everytime I try I start panicking about not studying enough,” 

Hercules closed his eyes and nodded, “Fair point, fair point,” He hummed then snapped his fingers and eyes wide open, “I got it. Why don’t you go out to study instead of being cramped in that dark library. You could even invite a friend or something,”

“Okay. Do you want to come and study with me?” Alex asked, and Hercules shook his head. 

“Whilst that sounds like the highlight of my year, I have classes all day tomorrow. Invite another friend,” Hercules shrugged. 

“I don’t have any other friends,” Alex mumbled, his eyes trail down. He knew it was true but it was always hard admitting it to himself. 

“That is not true!” Hercules frowned, “You have me. And Laf. And don’t forget about the Schuylers. And what about that little guy who works in the library who you’re always talking about, uh-” 

Alex sighed, “John? I don’t know, I don’t think he likes me,” Alex flashed back to all the petty arguments they had with one another. 

“Seriously? That one time when we were at the library I thought he was flirting with you?” 

“Wait what,” 

“Going out with him will release that sexual tension that is easy to see, but you seem oblivious to,” Hercules pulled out his phone, tapped it a couple times, then tossed it over to Alex (which gave him great anxiety because Hercules’ phone didn’t have a case), “Invite him to study with you. There is this great coffee shop down-” 

“Oh no! There is no way we’re going to a coffee shop like this is a goddamn fanfiction,” Hercules rolled his eyes, “Besides, you know my issue with coffee,” Hercules frowned then his face lit up and he started laughed, which only made Alex madder. 

Last year during finals, Alex pulled many all-nighters and drinking coffee because his elixir of life. However, half-way through finals, his body chemistry must have changed or something because now whenever he drinks coffee it only makes him more tired (which is literal hell). 

“You’re not cute,” Alex scowled and mumbled as he copied John’s number into his phone, “How do you have his number anyways?” 

“We had a class together last semester,” Hercules is a fashion major and sometimes the design classes overlap with those of the art majors, seeing as they are both in the same sub category. 

Alex: Yo John this is Alex from the library. 

John: I figured. What other maniac would be up at 4 in the morning

Alex: Thanks. 

John: I say that with love

John: How did you get my number though lol

Alex: Herc, my roommate, had it and he gave it to me. 

John: Oh cool. I love Hercules he is a pretty cool dude. 

Alex. Yea. I was wonder something. 

John: Hit me. 

It took about 5 tries for Alex to get this out right, he must be scaring poor John to death too because nothing good ever comes from the sentences “We need to talk” “I was wondering” and “I need to ask you something”. 

Alex: Do you want to go out tomorrow? We could study outside of the hell that is the library and you could get some of your drawings done. 

Alex waited, and waited, and waited. The response didn’t come and Alex felt like drowning himself in gasoline, lighting a match, and setting himself on fire. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why would John want to go out with him? Why would an attractive, talented, self possessed man want to go out with Alex who was basically an 8 year old with anxiety. He was about to throw his phone against the wall and call it quits when it pinged again. 

John: Sure I’d love to! I know a great place just outside campus that would be perfect. How does 11 sound?

******

“Angelica how does this look?” Alex turned around wearing a black t shirt with a open white button up and a pair of dark jeans and his hair was slicked back into a ponytail. 

“Shitty,” She mumbled, eyes never tearing away from her phone. 

“You haven’t even looked,” 

“Well anything on you looks shitty,” Alex narrowed his eyes at her and she torn herself away from her phone and her face lit up. “Oh that looks good! I like it!” 

“Thanks,” He breathed out. Angelica softened her gaze and strided over to Alex. 

“Hey, I’m sure this date will go fine. No worries,” 

Alex rolled his eyes, “It’s not a date, it is just me and a guy going out to study. Besides he doesn’t even like me like that,”

“But you like him in that way right?” She smirked, crossing her arms and sizing Alex up. 

“No… I mean I don’t think so,” Alex chewed on a fingernail and started thinking. Did he? I mean he’s know the guy for a while now with the library and all but he never thought of John in that way. However he did call him gorgeous, and he would like to see him and John, curled up in bed talking about art and the universe. Finally connecting the freckles that he ever so desperately desires. Running a hand through the long locks of hair and kissing him goodbye every night instead of leaving the library in a hurry… 

“Right…” Angelica said, pulling Alex out of his reverie, “Um good luck with your date and… tell me how it goes okay?” And then she was gone, leaving Alex with 3 things in his mind. 

One, Angelica Schuyler is a wonderful, mysterious woman. Two, he might need to change his outfit again. And three, he undoubtedly, undeniably, has a crush on John Laurens. 

*****

John said that he would walk to Alex’s dorm to pick him up and holy crap this is more like a date than he thought. That left Alex with another 15 minutes of psych himself out before John arrived. Ask any of his friends, Alex had a very nervous temperament when it came to people he caught feelings for. Around them he could act cool and collected, but afterwards he would walk around and daydream like a lovesick schoolgirl. He writes about them in his journal and he dreams about them. Yes he is that person who definitely lines their notebooks in hearts when they got it bad. He didn’t even realise the hearts he made from last night until he went back and looked. He knew he had some sort of feeling for John but he didn’t know it was those types of feelings. 

Alex nearly jumped out of his skin when there was a harsh knock on the door. He scrambled over to the door and there stood John, smiling like he was the fucking sun. It certainly seemed like that because the room lit up as soon as Alex opened the door. Alex’s eye quickly flickered up and down John and he was breathless. He was wearing a white button up that had black buttons and black lining in the collar and sleeves. That was paired with blue jeans and a pair of old Chuck Taylors that had dirt smudged on them and the aglet was missing, leaving the shoelaces frayed. John’s hair was pulled back into a bun where Alex could see a pencil sticking out of it which, if he wasn’t so taken aback about how good he looked, he would have laughed. 

Alex soon realised that it was creepy to just stare at John he opened the door wider, gesturing for him to come in. John smiled and entered the room only for Alex to realise that he hasn’t cleaned at all. 

“Uh, sorry for the mess, my roommate and I don’t clean up much,” Alex says, trying to move the pile of dirty laundry. 

John just chuckled, “Well if y’all’d’ve just gotten a laundry hamper or use your closet like a normal person, then this,” John gestured towards the room and the clothes, “Would not exist,” He said that smiling, and Alex couldn’t help but to smile back. 

******

“I swear to God if we are going to a coffee house I am going to fucking murder you,” Alex said as they rounded the corner toward a cute looking shop that had a pink oning and multiple umbrellas, capable for outdoor eating. 

That just made John laugh, “No we are not. Whenever you come into the library you never have coffee with you, you always have something else with you,” 

His heart skipped a beat, “You, you notice that?” 

John turned to him and they locked eyes, “Of course, you are rather difficult to miss,” Alex’s heart rate sped up and his mouth felt like sandpaper, “You always have something else. Tea. Which is why I am taking you to La Té!” John exclaimed as he swung open the doors. It was exactly like a coffee house except there were bags of tea strung all around the room and suspending from the ceiling which made it smell exceptionally good. Everything about this store made Alex laugh. 

“You realise that ‘La Té’ just means ‘The Tea’ in Spanish? And that that isn’t even correct because ‘tea’ is a masculine noun? And-” Alex started listing of the criticisms before John wrapped an arm around him and covered his mouth. 

“Shhh. For one they know it is wrong, they did it because if you say ‘La Té’ really fast, then it sounds like ‘latte’ which is ironic for a tea house.” Alex just rolled his eyes as John uncovered his mouth, though not his arm from his shoulder which caused Alex to tremble slightly inside. 

It took a while for them to order and find a seat but they eventually got everything situated and they started to work. It took Alex much longer to try and start working because there was an incredibly focused John Laurens across from him. John Laurens who was making beautiful art. John Laurens who was biting his lip and narrowing his eyes ever so slightly in a way that just wanted to make Alex die. But he eventually got in the swing of things and started taking notes on the chapter for his Introduction to Comparative Politics class. 

He started working so diligently that he didn’t even notice John get up to go to the bathroom. That is what Alex presumed, seeing as he left his stuff here. Including his sketchbook. Alex chewed on his lower lip, trying the decide whether or not to open it in. However, Alex could never keep his hands to himself, so he opened it. 

The first page was a sketch of a dog, a Siberian Husky for that matter. The art was so realistic, he felt like the animal would leap through the page and start licking him. Alex looked through more and more. He saw the apple tree just outside his dorm, the rally that happened just a few weeks ago, multiple turtles, the Alma Mater. The the drawings started to turn into people. A couple of students under a tree quizzing one another with flashcards, a woman a the counter of this very store handing someone their change. Alex checked the date and it wasn’t today. He turned the page and his eyes widened. It was him. Alexander. In the flesh. Well not in the flesh he was on paper. The drawing looked like it was from far away, like he was at his work desk in the library when John drew him. Alex had his earbuds in and was writing something down in a notebook with a heavy textbook next to him. He remembers that, it was last Wednesday. He turns the page again and there he is, this time he was asleep on a desk with a cup next to him on it’s side with the same angle as the last one. Hang on, that was just last night. Everything seemed so real about him. His hair, the desk, even the slight shadows under his eyes were taken into account. Alex’s heart rate sped up as he turned the page and, this one was unfinished, but he knew what it was. It was him again, working on his course work, this time much closer, right across from him actually. Everything behind Alex was blurred, only focusing on him, writing. John really was an amazing artist. But why would he draw hi- 

“What are you doing,” Alex’s eyes shot up and there stood John in fear. His eyes darted back between the notebook and Alex. 

“I was just uh looking,” He closed the book and handed it back to John, who would not longer make eye contact with him. The two sat in silence. He knew he shouldn’t have looked, but why would John drawing him, him of all people. He wasn’t anything special. Certainly not worthy of John sketching him. Alex finally spoke, “You’re drawings, they are uh really amazing. I especially liked those last 3,” Alex said. John eyes looked up and they finally made eye contact again and damn did he miss that. 

“You did?” John looked up hopefully and Alex nodded. “I tried but it is hard to capture your beauty on paper,” John looked down with a sheepish grin and Alex’s eyes widened. 

“M-me? You think I’m-” 

John cut him off, “Yes. I do. I think you are one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Ever since you walked into the library I tried to create that on paper but it’s like trying to get a picture of a unicorn. I figured that I could draw you for my “Campus Life” portfolio because you are one of the more energetic, full of life people I know,” John flipped to the last page and showed him Alex his most recent work, “Do you know why everything else is blurred in the background?” Alex shook his head, not willing himself to speak, “With art, you only want the person to see the most important things and you, Alex, are more important than anything else happening in this tea house, hell, even on the entire Columbian Campus,” 

Alex was dumbfounded. He didn’t know what to say. Not only was John an artist, he was a poet. Stringing together ordinary words and making beautiful sonnets with his voice without even knowing he was bringing something so gorgeous and perfect into the world.

******

Neither of the got any work done after that. The two men just sat in the shop, talking and learning about one another and enjoying the other’s company as the clock slowly ticked by, the day passing on with a blur. As the sun started setting the two walked home, hands brushing up against one another, both still unsure of their title together. Once they both reached Alex’s dorm, they stood outside it for a moment, eyes locked and mouths smiling. 

It was John who stepped forward and kissed the shorter man, Alex almost folding like wax under John’s touch and soft lips. The kiss wasn’t fireworks as most books describe. It was passion, it was life. It was heat. It was the feeling of hot tears of joy gently running down your face. It was the feeling in your stomach when you drink hot cocoa at the perfect temperature. It’s the feeling of warming your hands over a fire while laughing about your life with good friends. It’s the feeling of being wrapped in the arms of a loved one and never wanting to let go, even if you will see them tomorrow. 

Once they broke apart they both smiled and pulled in for a hug, never wanting to let go of the other. John waved goodbye and Alex watched his silhouette disappear into the distance. He unlocked his door and closed it quietly. Then he leaned against it and scooted down until he was sat on the floor, hand covering he quickly beating heart. Alex felt different. He had mixed emotions about this. He was never good with domestic life. But one thing was for certain. A new part of his heart was sketched in by one poetic, freckled artist.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! 
> 
> Tumblr: agameofthorns ^-^


End file.
